Former Warrington Wolves player takes on new role in very different career

An Appleton man has gone from playing professional rugby league to becoming a managing director of a homebuilding company.

Tom Grundy used to play for Warrington, Leigh Leopards, and Swinton Lions, but is now the managing director for Anwyl’s Cheshire and North Wales division.

In his new role, he will be leading the homebuilder’s operations and strategies in the region.

Mr Grundy said: “It’s a privilege to take on this role and lead such a great group of people.

“My focus is building on our success across all areas of the business, from construction quality and commercial processes to sales and customer service levels while ensuring a strong pipeline of new land acquisitions.”

His construction career began in 2008 with Barratt Homes, where he joined as a trainee quantity surveyor.

During his traineeship, he attended Bolton University one day a week to obtain a degree in quantity surveying.

In 2013, he joined Redrow as a senior quantity surveyor and was promoted to chief QS two years later.

When Anwyl Homes formed its Lancashire division seven years ago, Mr Grundy decided to join the company.

In 2021, he was made group commercial director.

He briefly left Anwyl to join Eurogold last year, but has now returned as managing director.

Mr Grundy said: “I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Anwyl and building on existing relationships to support the development of our team and the projected growth of the Cheshire and North Wales business.”

A construction career was a natural next step for Mr Grundy after his rugby league career came to an end.

Growing up, he was exposed to the industry through his father’s small building company.

He said: “When my sporting career ended, it was an obvious path for me to take.

“I have always enjoyed collaborating as part of a wider team and working with a diverse range of personalities and characters to achieve a common goal.

“It’s always been the part of my work I enjoy most.”

As managing director, he will be responsible for tackling the challenges faced by the wider industry, including the planning system, build costs, and material availability.

However, Mr Grundy is optimistic about the future.

He said: “Market conditions have begun to improve in 2024, and we’re expecting this to continue with lower mortgage rates and an improving economic outlook helping to increase sales volumes and support steady house price growth.”

Anwyl’s Cheshire and North Wales division has 11 live developments across Cheshire, Shropshire, Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy, where homes are currently on sale.

Construction has just started at two new developments in Dalton Fields, in Chorlton, Greater Manchester, and Lottie Gardens on the Wirral.

Reflecting on his career so far, Mr Grundy said: “I believe that our product and construction quality are second to none, while our people and culture are the business’s biggest strength.

“We are as proud of this as we are of the quality homes we deliver.”